Top Safety Pick

2020 Toyota Prius Prime

small car / 4-door hatchback

Plug-in hybrid

2020 Toyota Prius Prime 4-door hatchback — 2017 Toyota Prius Prime shown

Crashworthiness

Rating overview
Evaluation criteria	Rating
Small overlap front: driver-side
Small overlap front: passenger-side
Moderate overlap front: original test
Side: original test
Roof strength
Head restraints & seats

Crash avoidance & mitigation

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Headlights
Front crash prevention: vehicle-to-vehicle
Standard system	Superior

Seat belts & child restraints

Evaluation criteria	Rating
LATCH ease of use

Other available safety features

Optional blind spot detection
Standard lane departure warning & prevention
Optional rear automatic braking

Key

G
Good
A
Acceptable
M
Marginal
P
Poor

Superior
Advanced
Basic

Some ratings use a scale of Poor to Good. Others range from Basic to Superior.

Small overlap front: driver-side

Rating applies to 2017-22 models

Tested vehicle: 2016 Toyota Prius Two Eco 4-door

The Toyota Prius was redesigned for the 2016 model year and the Prius Prime was introduced in the 2017 model year.

Evaluation criteria	Rating

Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Hip/thigh
Lower leg/foot
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics

Action shot taken during the small overlap frontal crash test.

The dummy's position in relation to the door frame, steering wheel, and instrument panel after the crash test indicates that the driver's survival space was maintained very well.

The frontal and side curtain airbags worked well together to keep the head from coming close to any stiff structure or outside objects that could cause injury.

The driver's space was maintained well, and risk of injuries to the dummy's legs and feet was low.

Technical measurements for this test

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	CEN1607
Lower occupant compartment
Lower hinge pillar max (cm)	3
Footrest (cm)	2
Left toepan (cm)	1
Brake pedal (cm)	4
Parking brake (cm)	4
Rocker panel lateral average (cm)	1
Upper occupant compartment
Steering column	0
Upper hinge pillar max (cm)	5
Upper dash (cm)	3
Lower instrument panel (cm)	3

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	CEN1607
Head
HIC-15	237
Peak gs at hard contact	no contact
Neck
Tension (kN)	1.4
Extension bending moment (Nm)	15
Maximum Nij	0.23
Chest maximum compression (mm)	25
Femur (kN)
Left	0.6
Right	0.8
Knee displacement (mm)
Left	1
Right	1
Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%)
Left	0
Right	0
Maximum tibia index
Left	0.46
Right	0.32
Tibia axial force (kN)
Left	2.2
Right	2.5
Foot acceleration (g)
Left	40
Right	58

About the small overlap front test

Small overlap front: passenger-side

Rating applies to 2018-22 models built after May 2018

Tested vehicle: 2018 Toyota Prius Two 4-door

The Toyota Prius was redesigned for the 2016 model year and the Prius Prime was introduced in the 2017 model year. Beginning with 2018 models of the Prius and Prius Prime built after May 2018, a structural brace was added to the passenger-side lower door hinge pillar to improve occupant protection in passenger-side small overlap frontal crashes. (Information about when a specific vehicle was manufactured is on the certification label typically affixed to the car on the driver door or adjacent B-pillar.)

Passenger-side small overlap frontal ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test conducted by Toyota.

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Passenger injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Hip/thigh
Lower leg/foot
Passenger restraints and dummy kinematics The dummy’s head barely contacted the frontal airbag before sliding off the right side, allowing the head to move far enough forward to hit the dashboard. The side curtain airbag deployed and has sufficient forward coverage to protect the head from contact with side structure and outside objects. The side torso airbag also deployed.
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Hip/thigh
Lower leg/foot
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics

Technical measurements for this test

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTP1807
Lower occupant compartment
Lower hinge pillar max (cm)	10
Footrest (cm)	5
Right toepan (cm)	3
Center toepan (cm)	2
Rocker panel lateral average (cm)	1
Upper occupant compartment
Center dash (cm)	4
Upper hinge pillar max (cm)	11
Upper dash (cm)	6
Right lower dash (cm)	6

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTP1807
Head
HIC-15	221
Peak gs at hard contact	49
Neck
Tension (kN)	1.6
Extension bending moment (Nm)	28
Maximum Nij	0.44
Chest maximum compression (mm)	19
Femur (kN)
Left	0.8
Right	2.9
Knee displacement (mm)
Left	4
Right	12
Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%)
Left	0
Right	0
Maximum tibia index
Left	0.63
Right	0.77
Tibia axial force (kN)
Left	2.4
Right	0.3
Foot acceleration (g)
Left	57
Right	54

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTP1807
Head
HIC-15	258
Peak gs at hard contact	no contact
Neck
Tension (kN)	1.2
Extension bending moment (Nm)	9
Maximum Nij	0.24
Chest maximum compression (mm)	20
Femur (kN)
Left	0.4
Right	0.6
Knee displacement (mm)
Left	1
Right	0
Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%)
Left	0
Right	0
Maximum tibia index
Left	0.43
Right	0.25
Tibia axial force (kN)
Left	0.3
Right	1.0
Foot acceleration (g)
Left	69
Right	46

About the small overlap front test

Moderate overlap front: original test

Rating applies to 2017-22 models

Tested vehicle: 2016 Toyota Prius Two 4-door

The Toyota Prius was redesigned for the 2016 model year and the Prius Prime was introduced in the 2017 model year. Moderate overlap frontal ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test conducted by Toyota.

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Leg/foot, left
Leg/foot, right
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics

Technical measurements for this test

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTF1606
Footwell intrusion
Footrest (cm)	2
Left (cm)	5
Center (cm)	6
Right (cm)	8
Brake pedal (cm)	3
Instrument panel rearward movement
Left (cm)	1
Right (cm)	0
Steering column movement
Upward (cm)	-1
Rearward (cm)	-6
A-pillar rearward movement (cm)	1

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTF1606
Head
HIC-15	196
Peak gs at hard contact	no contact
Neck
Tension (kN)	1.2
Extension bending moment (Nm)	13
Maximum Nij	0.26
Chest maximum compression (mm)	28
Legs
Femur force - left (kN)	0.6
Femur force - right (kN)	0.6
Knee displacement - left (mm)	1
Knee displacement - right (mm)	1
Maximum tibia index - left	0.41
Maximum tibia index - right	0.75
Tibia axial force - left (kN)	2.2
Tibia axial force - right (kN)	2.7
Foot acceleration (g)
Left	52
Right	114

About the original moderate overlap front test

Side: original test

Rating applies to 2017-22 models

Tested vehicle: 2016 Toyota Prius Two 4-door

The Toyota Prius was redesigned for the 2016 model year and the Prius Prime was introduced in the 2017 model year. Side ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test conducted by Toyota.

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Driver head protection
Rear passenger injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Rear passenger head protection

Technical measurements for this test

Test ID	VTS1606
B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm)	-17.0
Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline.

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTS1606
Head HIC-15	434
Neck
Tension (kN)	1.2
Compression (kN)	0.0
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm)	31
Lateral force (kN)	1.5
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm)	42
Average deflection (mm)	37
Maximum deflection rate (m/s)	4.70
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s)	0.63
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN)	3.3
Acetabulum force (kN)	1.9
Combined force (kN)	5.2
Left femur
L-M force (kN)	0.2
L-M moment (Nm)	21
A-P moment (Nm)	-87

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTS1606
Head HIC-15	162
Neck
Tension (kN)	0.3
Compression (kN)	0.5
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm)	37
Lateral force (kN)	1.3
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm)	41
Average deflection (mm)	28
Maximum deflection rate (m/s)	2.60
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s)	0.52
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN)	0.1
Acetabulum force (kN)	0.8
Combined force (kN)	0.8
Left femur
L-M force (kN)	2.1
L-M moment (Nm)	70
A-P moment (Nm)	-234

About the original side crash test

Roof strength

Rating applies to 2017-22 models

Tested vehicle: 2016 Toyota Prius Two 4-door

Rating applies to the Toyota Prius (tested) and the structurally similar Toyota Prius Prime.

Overall evaluation
Curb weight	3,081 lbs
Peak force	17,481 lbs
Strength-to-weight ratio	5.67

About the roof strength test

Head restraints & seats

Seat type: Manual cloth seat

Overall evaluation
Dynamic rating
Seat/head restraint geometry

Technical measurements for this test

Seat type	Manual cloth seat
Geometry
Backset (mm)	24
Distance below top of head (mm)	10
Seat design parameters
Pass/fail	Pass
Max T1 acceleration (g)	14.5
Head contact time (ms)	59
Force rating	1
Neck forces
Max neck shear force (N)	0
Max neck tension (N)	269

About the head restraint & seat test
Currently, IIHS tests apply only to front seats.

Headlights

Trim level(s)

Plus trim
Premium trim
Advanced trim

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Low-beam headlight type	LED projector
High-beam headlight type	LED projector
Curve-adaptive?	No
High-beam assist?	Yes
Overall rating
Distance at which headlights provide at least 5 lux illumination:

Low beams
On the straightaway, visibility was good on the right side of the road and inadequate on the left side. On curves, visibility was good on both right curves and inadequate on both left curves.

The low beams never exceeded glare limits.

High beams
On the straightaway, visibility was good on both sides of the road. On curves, visibility was good on both right curves and inadequate on both left curves.

High-beam assist compensates for some limitations of this vehicle's low beams on the straightaway and on both left curves.

Technical measurements for this test

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Trim level(s)	Plus trim Premium trim Advanced trim
Low-beam headlight type	LED projector
High-beam headlight type	LED projector
Curve-adaptive?	No
High-beam assist?	Yes
Overall rating Applies to 2017-22 models

LOW BEAMS	Average minimum useful illumination distance (5 lux)	Amount glare exceeded threshold
Straightaway right edge	98.0 m	None
Straightaway left edge	38.4 m	None
250m radius right curve, right edge	77.1 m	None
250m radius left curve, left edge	40.2 m	None
150m radius right curve, right edge	64.6 m	None
150m radius left curve, left edge	39.0 m	None

HIGH BEAMS	Average minimum useful illumination distance (5 lux)
Straightaway right edge	169.9 m
Straightaway left edge	150.2 m
250m radius right curve, right edge	85.4 m
250m radius left curve, left edge	64.2 m
150m radius right curve, right edge	66.2 m
150m radius left curve, left edge	51.0 m

About the headlight evaluation

Front crash prevention: vehicle-to-vehicle

System details

Standard Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection

Overall evaluation

Applies to 2017-20 models

Superior

This system meets the requirements for forward collision warning.
In the 12 mph test, this vehicle avoided a collision.
In the 25 mph test, this vehicle avoided a collision.

About the original front crash prevention test

Child seat anchors

Rating applies to 2017-22 models

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Overall evaluation
Vehicle trim	Premium
Seat type	leatherette

This vehicle has 2 rear seating positions with complete child seat attachment (LATCH) hardware.

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Overall evaluation
Vehicle trim	Premium
Seat type	leatherette

Rating icon	Rating
G	Good
A	Acceptable
M	Marginal
P	Poor
	Seating positions that rely on borrowed lower anchors or have only a tether anchor available are not rated.
thether anchor symbol	Tether anchor
lower anchor symbol	Lower anchors
shared lower achors symbol	Lower anchor(s) can be borrowed from adjacent positions(s)
	No hardware available

Details by seating position

Position	Rating
1
1	Tether anchor
	easy-to-find location
	no other hardware could be confused for anchor
	Lower anchors
	not too deep in seat
	not too much force needed to attach
	easy to maneuver around anchors
3
3	Tether anchor
	easy-to-find location
	no other hardware could be confused for anchor
	Lower anchors
	not too deep in seat
	not too much force needed to attach
	easy to maneuver around anchors

Technical measurements for this test

Lower anchor A
Open access rated	Yes
Depth	Visible
Force (lbs)	0
Clearance angle (degrees)	85
Lower anchor B
Open access rated	Yes
Depth	Visible
Force (lbs)	0
Clearance angle (degrees)	83
Tether anchor
Location	Middle seatback
Confusing hardware present	No
Has contrasting label within 3 inches of tether anchor	Yes
Tether anchors can be accessed while seatback is properly positioned for use of LATCH	Not measured

Lower anchor A
Open access rated	Yes
Depth	Visible
Force (lbs)	0
Clearance angle (degrees)	88
Lower anchor B
Open access rated	Yes
Depth	Visible
Force (lbs)	0
Clearance angle (degrees)	86
Tether anchor
Location	Middle seatback
Confusing hardware present	No
Has contrasting label within 3 inches of tether anchor	Yes
Tether anchors can be accessed while seatback is properly positioned for use of LATCH	Not measured

About the child seat anchor evaluation